Life Goes On
by Elerina
Summary: Semi-AU, Post TV series As he walks through the desert, Vash contemplates past mistakes. At the same time, however, a new future for him, and someone else, is brought forth from one of Vash’s “past mistakes”. Yaoi, Mpreg


Hey people! smiles and waves at grumbling readers Sorry about being away so long. I've just finished my freshman year of college so I've been extremely busy. Anyway, I decided to write this to get me back into the writing groove. Don't worry; I'll update my other stories (eventually…)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Trigun. I just like to mess with the boys' lives a little…

Warnings: Yaoi, implied Yuri, Sex, and Mpreg. If you don't like any of these, then find something else to read. All flames will be mocked.

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Life Goes On

Vash's P.O.V

One would assume that, after over 150 years of life, I would know better. I can't go anywhere; it seems, without someone getting hurt or dieing, or some random building being destroyed. Why I believed this would have been any different, I have yet to figure out. I guess my first mistake was falling in love…

A sharp pain in my abdomen brought me back to reality. I placed my right hand across my stomach, feeling my child's movements. Another contraction caused me to double over. Good thing I had the Cross Punisher with me to help me balance. I chose to keep it after my fight with Knives.

Another contraction. Damn it! They're coming too close together, and I'm still about 10 iles from the nearest town. I guess it's a good thing the suns have already set, or I'd probably sweat to death in this new coat. It's black, reflective of my current mood.

Another sharp pain took me by surprise, and then I felt my pants become soaked. So much for reaching the next town. I took off my coat and laid it as flat as I could on the sand. I then took my pants off and sat down on my coat. I propped the Cross Punisher up in the sand behind me, thus giving me something to lean against. As I sat there, waiting for my child to be born, my thoughts drifted to the last night I spent with the man I love…

The insurance girls and I were staying at a small inn for the night. I had my own room and the girls shared the room next door to mine. I had always assumed that they were in a relationship, and, thanks to paper-thin walls, my assumption proved to be correct.

I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around in a towel when I heard someone open my door. I turned to find my lover standing there. I scowled at him. I was still angry with him for what had happened the day before, and had refused to talk to him since. He walked over and embraced me, an action I didn't return.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I know that apologizing isn't going change anything. I just wanted you to know that I did it in your best interests." I pulled away from him.

"My best interests?! There is NO excuse for killing another human being. I don't care what the circumstances were…" His kiss interrupted my train of thought.

"All I ask is for you to forgive me." He said. I hesitated.

"I…forgive you. But that does NOT mean that I accept what you did."

"Fair enough," he said, smiling. Before I knew what was happening, he had pinned me against the wall, kissing me passionately. I instantly kissed him back, thus beginning our usual fight for dominance. By the time we made it over to the bed, we were both nude and he ended up on top.

"No fair," I said playfully.

"All's fair in love and war," He retorted. He then decided to torture me by running his tongue along one of my scars. I moaned, feeling myself get hard.

"Stop…teasing …me!" I panted.

"Now, why the hell would I want to do that?" he said, smiling. I could feel his tongue slide lower, sending heat waves throughout my body.

"P…Please…"

"Please what?"

"Want…need you…in…me…please!"

Insert lemon here

I then thought I felt something change inside me, but I ignored it. As he pulled out, we heard someone pounding on the door.

"Hey, Vash! You all right in there? We heard screaming." I sighed.

"Yes, Meryl, I'm fine. You can go back to bed."

"You sure?" she asked, opening the door a crack. The sight on the bed caused her to blush.

"Oh…" she said, "Well at least you two have made up. I can't stand listening to you guys bitch at each other." With that she turned on her heels and walked out, slamming the door behind her. My lover and I looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. We spent the rest of the night lavishing each other with kisses until we both fell asleep.

That night happened over eight months ago. Not 24 hours later, my lover was killed. I felt tears well up in my eyes. My lover died, and it's all my fucking fault! I should have known better. Fate won't let me get close to anyone without them dieing. There's so much I never got a chance to tell him. So much he needed to know. I never got a chance to tell him that I'm carrying his baby…

A particularly sharp contraction brought me out of my brooding thoughts. I then felt my baby begin to slide down the newly formed birth canal between my legs. I cried out in pain as the contraction climaxed. Another contraction hit almost as soon as the last one ended, and I felt the baby slide further down. On the next contraction the baby moved a little further down then suddenly stopped. The next contraction was worse then the last few, and my baby didn't move at all. I pushed, hoping to encourage the baby to keep moving, but nothing happened. I tried pushing again with the next few contractions, but still nothing happened. I pushed again, and the only reward I got for my efforts was a small stream of blood pouring from the birth canal.

__

Please, I thought as I pushed again, _please be all right, little one. _I was beginning to panic. I didn't understand what was wrong, and I would die first before I lost one of the last links I had to the one I love. I had bought myself a flare gun a while ago, in case of an emergency. I'd say this qualifies. I took it out of the pocket of my coat and fired it skyward. I knew that the chances of there being someone in the desert in the middle of the night were pretty slim, and the chances that, if there was someone out there, that they would help a man in labor were considerably slimmer, but I had to try.

"X" s P.O.V

"God damn stupid bike," I grumbled as I fixed it up _again_ for seemingly the hundredth time this week. Stupid thing couldn't brake down while I was in town, oh no, it had to break down _in the middle of the fucking desert! _After a couple of hours, I breathed a sigh of relief as the engine finally started up again. It was at that moment that I thought I heard someone cry out. I peered around, but couldn't see anyone.

"Must be hearing things," I mumbled, as I reached into my pocket, "Damn it! I'm out." I crushed the small box and threw it to the ground. I then noticed something out of the corner of my eye. A signal flare? Who in their right mind would be out in the desert in the middle of the night? I looked at my motorcycle. Scratch that thought. I sighed. Might as well go see who's in trouble. I jumped onto my bike and rode off in the direction of the flare, praying all the while that it wouldn't break down on me again.

Vash's P.O.V

I clenched my teeth as a contraction rippled through my abdomen. I was losing blood fast and the baby showed no sign of coming out. The world around me slowly became a blurred mess as I fought to stay conscious. Wait… an engine? Please tell me I'm not just hearing things. Just then the sound of the engine stopped and a figure approached me. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the figure's face in the darkness.

"Please," I begged as the next contraction ended, "Please help me! I know this is going to sound crazy but I'm having a baby. Something's wrong. It's stuck inside me and no matter what I do it won't come out. I need your help, please!" The figure stood there for a moment, as if debating on what to do. He then turned and began to walk away.

"No!" I yelled, "Please don't leave me! I'm not crazy, I swear! Please, don't go!"

"I'm not leaving," came a gruff reply. The figure walked back over to me, kneeled down and pressed something against my lips.

"Drink," he said. I opened my mouth slowly and he poured the liquid down my throat. Water! Glorious water!

"Thanks," I mumbled. I then grabbed his arm and squeezed as a contraction took me by surprise.

"Calm down," he told me as the contraction ended, "It's kinda hard to help you if you insist on breaking my arm off."

"Sorry," I mumbled, letting go of him. He moved himself so he was positioned between my legs and began pressing on my stomach gently. It hurt, but I didn't say anything.

"Do you…know what you're doing?" I managed to whisper.

"Somewhat," he replied, "I ran into a woman in labor a while back. There was no one else around so I was forced to help her deliver. Her baby's cord was wrapped around its neck, so I had to reach inside her to untangle the baby before it could be born." He paused, "Although this, admittedly, is somewhat different." I chuckled until another contraction hit, then I screamed, pushing instinctively.

"Don't push!" the figure told me sternly, hands still pressing on my stomach, "I need to figure out what's wrong."

"O…okay," I whispered, my voice hoarse from screaming so much. He continued pressing on my stomach, pausing every now and then as if trying to figure something out. Soon after, he removed his hands and sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, panic slowly rising within me.

"From what I can tell, you're problem is the same as that woman's, which means I'm going to have to reach inside you to get the cord out of the way. I'm warning you right now, it's going to hurt like a bitch."

"I don't care," I stated, "Do whatever you have to do in order to save my baby."

"All right," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "We've got to do this fast. You're losing too much blood."

"I don't care what happens to me, just save my baby."

"Okay," he said, "Whatever happens, do NOT push until I tell you to, do you understand?"

"Yes."

He pushed his hand inside me just as another contraction hit. I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to bear down. I could feel his hand moving around inside me, working to free my child. Soon after, he removed his hand and I cried out in surprise and relief as my baby slid further down the birth canal.

"Push, Vash," He said. I complied, bearing down as hard as I could. A small part of my mind wondered how this guy knew who I was, and hoped that he wouldn't turn me in for the $$60,000,000,000 reward when this was over. I pushed again, crying out as the baby's head emerged.

"Keep going, Vash!" he said, "You're doing great." I bore down again, feeling the baby's shoulders emerge. I took a deep breath and pushed with all the strength I had left, relieved to feel the baby slide out of me completely, followed by the afterbirth. I collapsed, completely exhausted, against the Cross Punisher. The world around me seemed to spin, and I only vaguely heard the figure say that I had a boy. I could feel blood pour out of me as my sight began to darken. The last thought I had before darkness consumed me completely was: _Why isn't my baby crying?_

"X" s P.O.V

Out of all the possibilities that crossed my mind after I saw that flare, helping the legendary Vash the Stampede deliver a baby was the last thing I'd ever think of. I knew he was different, but this was definitely the strangest thing I'd ever seen him do. Hell, this was the strangest thing I've ever seen, period.

I sat there, holding a newborn that wasn't breathing, next to an unconscious man who had just given birth. Thinking that Vash was okay for the moment, I began breathing into the baby's mouth and nose, forcing his lungs to work.

__

Breathe, damn it! I thought as I continued to blow air into the baby's lungs. After a few agonizing minutes, I felt a small spasm beneath my mouth. I pulled away in time to see the baby cry angrily. I smiled, reaching down with my free hand to undo one of my shoelaces. After pulling it out of my shoe, I used it to tie off the cord, and then cut the cord with my pocketknife.

"Vash," I said, trying not to drop the crying, squirming baby, "Vash, look! He's alive! Vash?" No answer. "Vash! Wake up! You can sleep after you see your son." I nudged him with my foot. Nothing. It was then that I noticed the slowly expanding pool of blood between Vash's legs.

"Shit!" I shouted. I placed the baby on the coat next to Vash and ran back to my bike. I opened my suitcase and pulled out a bunch of old shirts. These I pressed against the opening the baby came out of in the hope of stopping the blood flow. I pressed my free hand against Vash's chest…hoping…praying…

There! Albeit faint, his heart was undeniably still beating. He was also, thankfully, still breathing. I continued pressing the cloth against the opening until at last it began to close. After a few minutes, it had healed itself completely, almost as if it was never there in the first place. Vash's breathing became even and his heartbeat felt stronger. I shook my head as I realized that he had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Don't worry about a thing, Vash. I'll still be here when you wake up," I said, pushing a strand of hair out of his face. I then turned my attention back to the baby. He had quieted, as though realizing his mother, so to speak, was out of danger. I picked him up and, using what was left in my canteen, washed the birth fluid off the baby. This was the first time I got a good look at him. The baby had dark hair, which fell jaggedly across his face. Pale aqua eyes looked up at me quizzically, Vash's eyes. The rest of his facial features…wait a minute…this kid looks almost just like me! I peered at Vash's sleeping form suspiciously. He's going to have _a lot _of explaining to do when he wakes up.

The baby shivered. I took off my coat and wrapped him in it, ignoring the cold wind that was now hitting my back. I laid him down on my lap. The kid yawned and fell asleep, snuggling close to me. I sat there, keeping a quiet vigilance over the new family.

Vash's P.O.V

The first thing I noticed as I woke up was an arm around my shoulders and water being poured down my throat. I felt dizzy and light headed, and my lower half felt as if it had just been through a meat grinder.

My baby! Oh God! Was it alive? It wasn't crying when it was born. In my panic, I began coughing up the water.

"About time you woke up!" A familiar voice said irritably. I opened my eyes a little, and instantly closed them again. Ah! Bright light! The suns had obviously risen.

"Trouble really does follow you everywhere, doesn't it, Tongari?" The voice said again with a hint of amusement. Wha…wait a sec…TONGARI?! Only one man in the world ever called me that. I opened my eyes again. When everything finally came back into focus, I saw two cobalt-gray eyes looking at me.

"Wo…Wolfwood?" I croaked, my voice still hoarse from last night.

"And just who were you expecting to see, Tongari?"

"WOLFWOOD!" I squealed, hugging the man within in inch of his life.

"But how? I don't understand. Chapel shot you. You…you died. I saw it. You bled to death. How did you…Ah! My baby! Is it all right? It wasn't crying when it came out. Is he okay? You did say it was a boy right? Wait, was it you who helped me last night? Was it even last night? How long was I sleeping? Where's my b…" His kiss interrupted my train of thought.

"Calm down and shut up, Vash," he said, worming his way out the vice-like grip I had on him, "One question at a time, all right? That's all my brain can handle at the moment. I also have a few questions you." At that moment, a small cooing noise interrupted our conversation.

"Look who else decided to wake up," Nick said, lifting the baby out of his lap and handing him to me, "This aught to answer about half of your questions."

I didn't hear him. I was too busy being enthralled by my newborn son. He was absolutely beautiful. Granted, I'm slightly biased in that regard, but I really don't care. Although it was kind of strange seeing my own eyes look back at me. I gently unwrapped him from Nick's coat, so I could get a better look at him. He's perfect; I don't care what anyone else says. Nick's hair, my eyes, Nick's facial features, my skin, minus the scars, this child is undeniably perfect. I wrapped him back up and hugged him, smiling as I heard him giggle. I was broken out of my reverie when Nick's hand touched my shoulder. He had moved the Cross Punisher and his motorcycle so they would cast a shadow over the baby and me, protecting us from the suns' rays.

"As we are both looking for answers to our personal confusion, I suggest a sort of question exchange. You ask me one, then I'll ask you one, etcetera. That way we won't overwhelm each other and we'll still get answers," he said, sitting down next to me.

"Okay," I said, "How did you survive that encounter with Chapel?"

"Sheer dumb luck. An older couple had come into the church to pray and found me, half dead kneeling there. I was brought to a hospital, where I was told that I remained unconscious for 5 days. By the time I got out of there, you and the girls had already left town. I figured that you would take this thing with you," he pointed at the Cross Punisher, "since then I've been following rumors and news reports, trying to find you again. Now it's my turn, how the hell did you get pregnant?"

"Well, when two people love each other very much…"

"You know what I mean, Tongari."

"I'm a plant."

"I know that already."

"Plants usually take on a human form so they don't scare the humans around them. This form is of their own choosing. I chose a male form because the crew on the SEEDS ship was almost completely male, with the exception of Rem and a few others. It was all I knew at the time. When I fell in love with you, I must have subconsciously changed my body just enough to accommodate a child, something I knew we both wanted. I got pregnant the last night we spent together. I didn't even realize what was happening until about a week after the girls went back to the insurance agency. I swear I would have told you, had I known you were alive. I'm just glad he survived the fight with Knives. Don't ask." He raised an eyebrow in question, "I'll explain later. My turn for a question," I hesitated, "Well, I decided that if the baby was a boy I'd name him after you as a way of remembering what you meant to me. Now that you're alive, I figured I should probably ask you first."

"I'm honored, Vash," he said, smiling at the baby, "Hello, Nicolas." The baby cooed in response. All of a sudden, Little Nick started crying. I started rocking him, but he didn't quiet down.

"I guess this brings me to my next question. Can you feed him?" I looked at him quizzically.

"Well, I sure as hell don't have any food on my bike for a newborn, and I sort of figured since you gave birth to him, you'd be able to feed him somehow."

"I don't know," I said. On a hunch, I lifted up my shirt and, sure enough, my right nipple was leaking a milky substance. I brought Little Nick over to it and he latched on, suckling hungrily.

"Wow, this feels weird," I said as he continued to suckle. I smiled at him, then looked up at my other Nick.

"My turn. What happened last night? I couldn't exactly see much."

"My wonderful Angelina II decided break down on me, _again_. Just as I finished fixing it, I caught sight of your flare. I rode over, and I must say, experienced one of the strangest nights of my life. After all, it's not every day you get to help a guy have a baby." I laughed.

"When Nicolas was born, he wasn't breathing. You had passed out, so I sorta figured you were fine for the moment. I started breathing into Nick's lungs, and was lucky. He started breathing on his own. I wanted to show you, but you began bleeding heavier. I used some of my old clothes as padding until the birth canal closed itself. By the way, you owe me new clothes. I then used some of the water I had to wash Nick off and wrapped him in my coat so he wouldn't catch cold. Kinda glad I brought several canteens of water with me."

"Me, too," I said. Just then, Little Nick detached himself from me and fell asleep in my arms. Nick got up and readjusted his bike and Cross Punisher, since the suns moved, and sat back down.

"Last question on my part. What have you been doing with yourself recently? You are harder to find then anyone else I know."

"Bending over backwards to keep myself out of trouble. I didn't exactly feel like giving birth in a jail cell. Not to mention all these wonderful people who love using my name to get what they want. I've had to keep moving from town to town just to make sure I didn't get caught."

"Oh, I have something for you."

"What?"

"Hang on." He went over to his bike and started rummaging through his bags. After a few minutes, he dropped a bundle at my feet.

"Open it. I'll hold Nick for you." I handed the still sleeping baby over to him. I then placed the bundle in my lap and opened it. To my surprise, it contained my red coat and the silver revolver Knives had given to me.

"Ummm…thanks."

"I found that stuff a few weeks ago. I couldn't figure out why you'd leave it behind, so I thought I'd return it to you." I lifted the gun out of the bundle.

"The only way I'm ever going to use this thing again is if it has the Angel Arms wiring taken out of it."

"Angel Arms?"

"July, Augusta, Fifth Moon incident"

"Oh."

"Now I have one last question for you," I said, making an attempt to stand and failing miserably.

"What question?" I made another attempt at standing, using the Cross Punisher to help me balance. This time I had a little bit better luck. I wasn't sanding so much as leaning heavily on the Cross Punisher. I looked up at Nick.

"Will you help me take care of him?" I gestured toward Little Nick, "I actually have very little idea as to what I'm doing when it comes to babies, and I really don't want to raise him alone. Will you help me, please?" He burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You are, Tongari. Do you really feel the need to ask me that?" I blushed.

"Yeah, kinda. You haven't been around lately, not that I'm blaming you, and I would understand if you wanted to live your own life." Nick walked over and kissed me.

"Stupid Tongari. I wouldn't have left your side anyway. Now that we have a kid, I have even more reason to stay. Besides, you need someone around you all the time anyway just to make sure that you stay out of trouble." I laughed as he helped me over to his bike. I sat down on it, and he handed me Little Nick. He loaded up everything, with the exception of the ugly, now blood soaked black coat that I was wearing. He opened my red one and hung it around my shoulders. He then stuck his Cross Punisher on the back of the bike and sat down behind me. He wrapped one arm around us and used the other to turn the bike on. I heard Nick breath a sigh of relief as the engine started up.

"Thank you," I said to him as we rode off.

"For what?"

"Everything."

END

Well, what did you think? Good, Bad, Horrible? Please Review and let me know what you think.


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